What a lucky kid.
We were going to be just fine.
“Whatcha doing, princess? Sleeping?”Steven asked, coming in from outside. He kicked off his boots, tugged off his gloves, and added another log to the fireplace. The fire roared back to life.
I blinked my eyes open and stretched, smiling at him. “Not sleeping. Daydreaming.”
“Yeah?” He came closer. “Can I dream with you?”
“Always.”
He chuckled softly. “Careful, princess. I might take you at your word.”
Maybe Iwantyou to take me at my word. Maybe I want always.
Maybe the baby hormones had eaten my brain.
Steven scootched in behind me so we were sitting my back to his chest. He reclined against the armrest with me snuggled between his thighs. “This good?” he murmured against my temple.
“Mm,” I agreed. “Can you hand me the body butter? It’s on the end table behind you.”
“Feeling itchy again?” he asked.
I felt him move behind me, then settle back in. When I heard the lid being unscrewed, I craned my neck to look at him. “What?—”
“I’ve got it. Just relax.”
I wiggled deeper into his body. “Okay.”
He scooped out a palmful and gave it an appreciative sniff. “I don’t know which I like more. Your strawberry hair or your cookie batter stomach.”
“It’s the cocoa and shea butters. That’s what makes it smell so good.” I made a sound of pure pleasure as he worked the cream into my parched belly. Colorado air was always dry, but it was especially brutal in winter. Add in all the stretching to accommodate a growing baby, and my skin was constantly dehydrated and uncomfortable.
Behind me, Steven’s shoulders shook with laughter.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Remember that first dinner at your parents’ house, and you accused me of buttering you up so you wouldn’t tell your dad I was the world’s biggest asshole?” His shoulders shook some more. “And I said I didn’t know youcouldbe buttered. Now here we are, snuggled up on the couch, and I’m literally buttering you.”
I smiled down at his big, strong hands on my round belly. My eyes went misty. God, I loved this man so much. “Who would have thought?”
He snorted. “Not you. That’s for damn sure.” His hands moved in slow, thorough circles.
“So, guess what?” I didn’t wait for him to reply before immediately answering my own question. “Gabe finally surfaced. I talked to him about an hour ago.”
His hands stilled and his body stiffened behind me. “You did? That’s…that’s good.”
I tilted my head to look back at him. “Why do you say that like it’s opposite day?”
“Because I’m jealous, Chloe.” He nudged at my cheek with his shoulder, trying to get me to turn back around. “Don’t look at me right now. Pretend I’m a good person.”
I rolled my eyes but settled against him again. “Youarea good person, Steven. Tell me you’re not actually worried about a guy I was never really with to begin with.”
“Family is a powerful motivator,” he said. “I wouldn’t blame you if you decided you owed it to Radish to see if you could make it work with his dad.”
“I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Gabe is staying in Argentina. He met a nurse there.” I shook my head. I still couldn’t entirely believe it.
“You told him about Radish? That he has a baby here in Colorado?” Steven asked.
